Dinosaur Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

Dinosaur Blu-ray Movie Review

Be sure to pick up this disc for the kids.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 18, 2008

Sometimes the smallest thing can make the biggest changes of all.

Dinosaur is a title that was buried under the avalanche of subsequent animated motion picture mega-hits we have all enjoyed in recent years. Computer-animated motion pictures such as Wall●E, The Polar Express, Beowulf, Ice Age, and Bee Movie, have taken the world by storm, leaving hand-drawn animated films historic relics when compared to these more visually robust computer-animated films. While Dinosaur performed admirably in theaters and is a decent enough film, when recounting the best animated films of the decade the fact remains that Dinosaur probably doesn't crack all that many top-ten lists. With no single memorable character that instantly comes to mind such as the popular Lightning McQueen, Scrat, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, or Shrek, Dinosaur simply doesn't capture the imagination and remain ingrained in our brains like the cream of the crop of early 21st century animated films.

Extinct? What do you mean we're extinct?!

Dinosaur is the story of a mass migration of prehistoric creatures after a meteor shower devastates the land. A band of primates called Lemurs discover an egg from which a dinosaur hatches. Despite worries that this carnivore will simply devour the tribe when it comes of age, it is accepted into the clan and named Aladar (voiced by D.B. Sweeney, The Cutting Edge). When Aladar is fully grown, the meteor strikes, and he and his adoptive family go in search of safer, inhabitable lands. They meet up and join a mixed herd of dinosaurs traveling to "the nesting grounds," a sanctuary of sorts that should provide food, water, and shelter for the herd. Led by the stubborn Kron who believes only the strongest of the herd should survive and usurp all the resources along the way, the herd can only be headed for disaster. Aladar must do everything in his power to convince the herd to turn from the leadership of Kron and follow a more logical path to their safety where everyone, the weak and strong alike, has an equal opportunity to survive.

Unfortunately, Dinosaur is one of the more unoriginal movies I've seen. In fact, the entire animated canon of dinosaur-centric films seem lacking in originality and substance. There is generally the outsider who is raised by, lives with, or is close friends with a drastically different species, generally ones much smaller than the primary character. The main character is usually misunderstood or ignored by the superior dinosaurs, but ends up being right about everything at the end. Likewise, "bad guys" are hard-headed and self-centered. Oh, let's not forget some sort of migration. That's what we have here, and while it's not bad, watching Dinosaur is like having a bad case of Deja Vu. Films like The Land Before Time before it, and Ice Age: The Meltdown after it, offer similar themes. Dinosaur does offer impressive visuals, though they are quickly beginning to show their age. The environments look fantastic, of course. They are not animated but are rather real with the animated characters inserted. Unfortunately, the character-enviroment interaction isn't always seamless, but considering how far technology has come in only the few short years since the movie was released, it's impressive nevertheless. These dinosaurs, whether or not they are accurate to the eyes of a paleontologist, look great, especially in their close-up shots. Dinosaur was a groundbreaking film in its day, much like Beowulf is today, but like that film, Dinosaur is almost all glitz and glamour and style with little substance.

Dinosaur Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Dinosaur stomps onto Blu-ray with a 1080p, MPEG-2 encoded, 1.85:1-framed transfer that is expectedly sharp and clean, but the visuals aren't quite up to par with the finest animation we've seen on Blu-ray discs such as Cars and Ratatouille. Dinosaur's transfer doesn't appear to be extremely sharp. It looks soft and lacking in depth. Fine details seem muted and definition is mediocre. Whether we look at medium-distance or wide shots, there is a lack of sharpness and detail on objects and backgrounds. Close-up shots fare better in the detail department, especially considering the textures of the dinosaurs themselves. All the ridges, humps, and wrinkles on their bodies stand out nicely. There is some noticeable edge enhancement in the transfer, but it's never visible in abundance. Look at the vines hanging down from a tree in chapter five. A noticeable halo surrounds each one. Color banding is also noticeable in some darker shots after the meteor attack. Colors are never as vibrant as they are in some other animated films, but that seems to be more due to the intended look of the film rather than a shortcoming of the transfer. Dinosaur generally sports earthy tones -- grays, tans, and greens -- during daylight shots, but much of the movie also takes place at night or in caves where black levels hold up well enough, and there is never a major loss of detail. Still, the image never pops off the screen during its brighter sequences as we've come to expect from discs such as Cars, which manages to burst off the screen in every scene. All in all, Dinosaur is a disappointment visually. It's not bad, but a few nagging issues and a generally uninteresting look make it pale in comparison to many other discs out there, animated or otherwise.

Dinosaur Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Disney brings Dinosaur to life on Blu-ray with a PCM 5.1 uncompressed surround sound audio track. The attack sequence at the beginning is one of the highlights on the disc, and proves that the audio far outshines the video quality. Your entire room will rattle at the sound of the roaring and the vicious stomps of the heavy beasts on the Earth. Directionality and sound panning are both excellent as the action flows seamlessly around the listening area in all directions. Surrounds are nicely employed throughout. Some echoing of voices in chapter 21 inside a cave is especially impressive. The meteor storm in chapter six is another highlight of the track. Loud, engaging, and immersive, bass is ever-present, the music is loud, albeit with a hint of a harsh edge to it, and the surrounds never quit. Dialogue is natural and front-focused, never lost under the rest of the soundtrack and presenting no volume issues. This soundtrack is just fine, about what is to be expected of an above-average Blu-ray audio mix.

Dinosaur Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Dinosaur arrives on Blu-ray with a few special features to satisfy fans. First up is a commentary track with co-directors Rob Zondag and Eric Leighton, digital effects supervisor Neil Eskuri, and visual effects supervisor Neil Krepela. This quartet does an admirable job discussing the technology and animation of the film, as well as the themes and ideas found throughout the film. Blu-Scape - "Origins" (1080p, 6:12) is a breathtakingly beautiful animated short film by director Louie Schwartzberg that might give you an idea of what all of those "natural wonders" Blu-ray discs might have to offer. The picture quality itself is not the best on the feature (noise, a horizontal line over parts of the image, and the like are present), but it is well-made and visually stunning insofar as the places it shows. The feature can be looped if you so choose. Movie Showcase will take viewers to three scenes that represent the best in Blu-ray audio and visuals the film has to offer. Finally, The Monster Cloud (1080i, pillar boxed, 4:10) is a closer look at one of the most important and visually exciting moments from the film.

Dinosaur Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Dinosaur is a good enough film, but unlike some of the best of the recent wave of critically acclaimed and audience friendly animated films, it simply doesn't have staying power. The story is rather generic, the characters bland, and the visuals somewhat dull. The Blu-ray edition of the film mimics these qualities. The film's picture quality is acceptable but ultimately disappointing next to the newer animated pictures, and is definitely not reference material. The audio track is the highlight of the program, providing a solid listen that, while not demo-grade, sets your system ablaze in sound more than once. The extras are somewhat scarce but acceptable. While Cars remains the epitome of animated Blu-ray reference material, for the kids in the home who need yet another animated film to round-out the titles available for a boring rainy afternoon, this one will entertain. For that reason and audience, I recommend Dinosaur.